The Portland daily press., 1887-08-08
sENsELEss AGITATION.
1.-THE Indanandant
CRUISE OF THE BRUNHILDE.
Young John J. Pheips's Tour Around
the World.
New York Tribune. ]

Two years ago the trim schooner yacht
Brunhilde, with her gallant young captain
and owner, five of his friends and crew
consisting Of ten men before the mast two
mates, boatswain, two cooks and two stew
trip around the world. On Saturday the
Brunhilde anchored of Bay Ridge after one
of the longest and most remarkable trips
ever accomplished by yacht
Her owner, John j. Phelps, the eldest
son of Congressman William Walter Phelps,
has safely conducted her around the world,
and as he stepped from his yacht upon New
York soil once more he cast proud glance at
the vessel that had carried him through Sc
ries of exciting adventures and at last
brought him safely home. After receiving
the congratulations Of his many friends he
hastened to his fathers country place at
Teaneck, two miles from Eaglewood, N. j.,
and here he was comfortably resting when
reporter found him.
"Tell you about the trip? Why. certain
ly!' he exclaimed Lets see. Well, III
tell you how we came to go in the first place.
Ever since | was old enough to know the
difference between a carriage and boat, |
have longed to sail around the world. 1t has
alwas been my sole ambition, but | never
expected to realize it until shortly before
started. | was graduated from Yale College
some four years ago with fine set of fel,
lows, and after we had been out of college a.
couple of years six of us decided to take this
trip. 1t was my idea, and the rest went as
my guests. The Brunhilde was built for our
special use, and was launched April 30,
1885, On June 15 we started for New Lon
don to see the college races. My friends
were A. Il. Symington, Kier Mitchell, H. HI.
Strong, Charles Halsey and t. r. Hillard
OF these Mr.. Hillard came back with me.
The rest left us at different places along the
trip and for different reasons, but | think
that the truth of the matter was that they.
didn't want to sail around the Horn. That
is feat that no yacht has ever done before
mine, l believe, and they never could quite
make up their minds to so with me on that
tack. I. G. Clark joined us at the Barba-
dos, and he came back with Hilard and N.Y.
self.
We did not stay long at New London.
Yale was beaten that year, so we cleared out
Just as soon as the races were over and set
sail for Cowes, England, which we reached
in twenty-six days. From there we took
little side trip to London, where had lit
tie trouble with my mates and part Of the
crew. ! had my papers as captain, but the
mates thought they could run the yacht to
suit themselves, and paid little attention to
my orders. That sort of thing had to ha~
stopped. We then returned t2,Sswps..and
early In September started for the Medifer-
ranean Sea, having xNHvs Boulogne, Cheras
Dours ana farls>SMhen we struck the Bay
~ lDlscrsSS--'~c'.lso struck, or were struck, by
pssf0ugh sea and violent storm. 1t was the
worst storm we encountered, for our lib
boom was carried away and the whole yacht
was swept pretty clean. We tried to make
Gibraltar, but were driven to Cadiz, where
we secured new jibboom. But as there
there was cholera there when we went
on. we were quarantined at Tangiers
to get out of the harbor. We got Then
we were quarantined for four days at Oran
in Africa. We finally landed and saw the
queer old places, Algiers, like small bit of
Paris and Bougie and Bona. When we set
sail for Malta we encountered frightful
sirocc0, which is hot wind in which it is
impossible TO breathe. 1t is like standing on
a smoke stack while the hot cinders are COM
ing up and trying to breathe there.
When we reached Cairo our party scat
| tered, and took my gun and dog and took
trip up the. Nile on my own account. We
| spent two days at Alexandria, and went up
the Nile together in dahabeahs After see
ing Port Said we went through the Suez Ca
gardens of lsmailia: 1t was then. that
we met another lively storm, which
tore away our jb-boom, bowsprit and
foretopmast. We put in at Jebelzukir for
repairs and enjoyed good snipe shooting and
gazelle hunting From there we went to Pc
rim Island, where Governor Turner gave us
reception and dinner From there we
went by Alden and started for Bombay on
December II. At SocOtra the chief gave us
grand feast and we had great sport trading
with the natives. | remember we traded
red parasol and an old spotted vest for three
turtles, and necktie for a boatload of cocoa
Suts. Our pianowas source of great terror
to the natives, who would run every time we
| touched q note.
| 1t was here that we were almost captured
| by pirates, 1t was clear night, but dark
cloud came up for fifteen minutes, and when
| we first discovered the pirates a great black
boat was close to windward of us, with one
| solitary man in sight. The next minute the
| black deck was covered with a bowling
| crowd of black devils, and we had to run for
it.. 1t was close chase and anarrow escape.
Our stay at Bombay was a series of par
ties, balls, receptions and picnics: We had
an immense time for month. We touched
at Ceylon. spent three days at Penang and
ten days at Singapore. The French 'Pulo
Coudore,' pretty island, was next visited,
and then Hong Kong, where we left the
yacht and went TO Canton by steamer. Every
where we went we had dinners and recep-
tlons given for our benefit and we had a good
| time. | have always wanted to see a typhoon
but have got all over that now. We caught
| one in going from Hong Kong to Yokohama.
From Yokohama we raced tea clipper to
|
beat her by ten day. We came over in thir-
ty days. At Frisco we took the diploma for
| yacht dress at the Grand Army reception.
From there we sailed down the coast, enjoy
| ing dinners and receptions at Monterey Hon
0lulu, Hilo, Hyta, and Juan Fernandez,
/ where, by the way, we were very short of
provisions and had to get along on a peck of
potatoes and huge goat. We reached Val
paraiso for New Years Day, and after a
month we sailed around the Horn. We then
visited Montevideo, Buenos Ayres, Rio, Saint
Lucia. Martinique, Guadeloupe, Mont Do
minica. ST. Kits, Santa Cruz and ST. Thom-
as. to the Bermudas, which we left on the
| home.
Symington left us at Hong Kong, Mitchell
at Yokohama, Strong at Frisco aud Halsey
| at Cherbourg.
/ am going to clean the Brunhide up to-
morrow, and then take her down to Nantuck-
ct. where shall spend from one to three
| weeks with her.